Northampton County is opposed to HB 1461. Short term rentals are a serious issue in the County and we feel it is an issue which is best dealt with by the locality. Thank you. Charles Kolakowski Northampton County Administrator

While the bill offers opportunities for economic growth and flexibility in property use, the town of Cape Charles has significant concerns about the specific language being proposed, particularly regarding its potential to create loopholes that undermine local rental duration requirements. The provision allowing third parties to lease properties long-term and then sublease them as short-term rentals could effectively circumvent established local regulations designed to maintain the balance between short-term tourism and long-term residential stability. This loophole not only threatens to negate legitimate local efforts to manage the character and dynamics of our neighborhoods but also poses a risk to the long-term housing market, potentially reducing the availability of long-term rentals needed by residents. Such an outcome would be contrary to the interests of the Cape Charles community, which relies on thoughtful and locally tailored regulations to ensure that growth and development are both sustainable and beneficial to all residents. Given these concerns, the town of Cape Charles strongly opposes the new language proposed in the bill. We believe it is essential to maintain local authority to enforce rental duration requirements and manage short-term rentals in a way that respects the needs and character of our community. We urge lawmakers to reconsider this aspect of the bill to prevent unintended consequences that could undermine the well-being of towns and cities across Virginia.

Attaching a letter in support of HB 1461, which would update Virginia’s existing code to give tenants equal access to short-term rental opportunities.

I oppose the wording of this proposed bill. Cape Charles restricts ADUs from being rented as STRs. With the proposed wording I can see where a homeowner renting long term an ADU in accordance with our ordinances, and the renter can turn around and rent as STRs which can reduce long-term rental stock in our community. This would happen in a tourism environment such as Cape Charles. We cannot afford to convert our by-right ADUs into STRs.